Ferrule for golf clubs



Jan. ,1926. 569,340

P. A. VAlLE FERRULE FOR GOLF CLUBS Filed April 1'7, 1925 5/ Mr- WPatented Jan. 12, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PEMBROKE A. VAILZ E, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOWILLIAM SWIFT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FERRULE FOR GOLF CLUBS.

Application filed. April 17, I925. Serial No. 23,856.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PEMBROKE A. VAILE, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented a new' and useful Improvement; in Ferrules forGolf Clubs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to golf clubs or equivalent devices of thatnature which, when in use, are gripped by the hands of the player andgiven a swinging motion. The purpose of the invention is to overcome thelikelihood of slippage in or through the players hands, due to thecentrifugal force developed in the stroke; and also to provide such adevice so, formed as to naturally assist the player in holding the clubin the right position. The device further has the advantage that with itit is not necessary for the player to grip the shaft of the club sotightly as is necessary with the clubs not having this improved feature.

The purposes of the invention may be accomplished by a preferred form ofthe structure as indicated in the drawings, wherein Fig. 1 shows a golfclub provided with the improvement.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a crescent shaped ferrule which is shown inFig. 1, as applied to the shaft of a golf club.

Fig. 3 is an edge view of the ferrule.

The centrifugal force developed in the golf stroke is very considerablewhen compared with the centrifugal force resulting from the use of moreor less equivalent devices in other games. It is not customary toprovide golf clubs with any suitable means for counteracting thecentrifugal force tending to draw the club out, of the players hands.However, something of this nature is used on tennis rackets and baseball bats, such as the pronounced enlargement at the endof the handle inbaseball and the leather end in tennis. An enlargement at the end of theclub interferes with the desired grip, since such enlargement sometimesbears against the muscle of the palm on the little finger side of thehand and, therefore, has a tendency, in quite pronounced manner, tothrow the club oif the anatnral line it would take if the g ip werenormal and on a shaft of the conventional shape. -The improved ferruleshaped stop illustrated in the drawings does not enlarge the club nearthe palm of the hand, but provides a shoulder bearing against the sideof the little finger, and in this way, while it prevents the club fromslipping in the hands of the user, it does not in any way interfere witha normal gripon the club, while at the same time it permits the club tobe safely swung with less gripping tension in the hands of the playerand consequently permits more force and freedom in the use of themuscles of the arm in directing the stroke.

The drawings show a conventional form of golf club having the usualsomewhat tapered grip or holding part of the shaft and over which isslipped a crescent shaped semi-circular ferrule or ring having a gap inone side. is placed upon the shaft where the diameter is small enoughfor the shaft to pass through the gap in the ring. The ring is then slidto the desired position on the grip of the club where, if desired, itmay be more securely fastened by means of small screws or brads passingthrough the holes in the ring and into the body of the shaft. Theferrule may be a plain crescent or a complete ring with the aperturetherein H eccentric to the periphery of the ring so that one side willbe extremely thin.

Other forms of this stopping device are suitable for the purposes ofthis invention, provided they do not interfere with taking an easy gripon the shaft or do not press upon the palm of the hand, the purpose ofthe construction being mainly to prevent longitudinal slipping of theclub without necessitating that the user too tightly grip the club andthereby cause unnecessary contraction of the muscles of the hands andarms and thus militate against producill crescent shaped flange 2. Inuse this flange bears against the outer side of the little finger of thehand of the player Which is farthest from the club head, and theshoulder 3 comes at the end of the little finger. This shoulder enablesthe player to take exactly the same grip or hold of the club each timehe uses it. The article is preferably made of aluminum or a light alloy.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention has been hereinshown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of theconstruction shown may be altered or omitted Without departing from thespirit of this invention, as defined by the followingclaims.

I claim:

1. A device of the class desori'bed including a shaft and having a stopadjustable along the grip part of the shaft for the purpose described.

2. A device of the class described including a tapered shaft and havinga stop adjustable along the grip part of the shaft,

said stop being in the form of a crescent having an opening large enoughto permit the shaft to be passed therethrough at a point of reduceddiameter of the shaft,

but small enough to retain the stop on the shaft Where the shaft islarger in diameter. Signed at Chicago this 7th day of April,

PEMBROKE A. VAILE,

